The loophole that allows motorists on the second provisional licence to drive without supervision is to be closed under new laws to be brought in next year, the Minister for Transport said today.
At the moment, drivers on first provisional licences must be accompanied by full licence-holders; those on second provisionals do not. Drivers who hold third provisional licences are required to have an experienced driver in the car with them.
There are an estimated 325,000 provisional licence-holders in the State.
But Mr Brennan said this morning he was looking into changing the rules to make it more difficult for learner drivers to get on the road.
He said he would also restrict the length of time people can drive on provisional licences without passing a test.
Speaking in Ballina, Co Mayo, this morning, Mr Brennan said he was in the process of deciding the nature of the restrictions.
"We're discussing having provisional licences limited, that you can either have a very small number of them or you can have them for a number of years, at the end of which you must do the test and pass it or be off the road," he said.
"It's as simple as that . . . you can't be allowed to drive around the country for 10, 15 or 20 years on a provisional licence".
The Minister said a disproportionate number of accidents involve people who are driving without a full licence, with provisional drivers up to 50 more likely to be in an accident.
"We have a ridiculous situation where you can do a driving test, fail it and drive away in the car. This kind of nonsense has to stop," he said.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Transport said that the legislation had yet to be drafted and Mr Brennan was engaged in a consultation process.
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